Why The Aeron Chair Is SO Popular (part 3)
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- Опубликовано: 5 апр 2022
- This chair may be the most iconic office chair in the world... but it's journey in history and pop culture is more interesting than you'd think.
Part 1: The Furniture Company That Changed The World
• The Furniture Company ...
Part 2: Why Is Herman Miller So Expensive?
• Why Is The Eames Loung...
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For further reading, check out the sources for this video here:
docs.google.com/document/d/e/...
Script: Holly Maley
Editor: Kirsten Stanley
Animator: Zachary Kastrukoff
Project Manager: Lurana McClure Rodríguez
Host: Levi Hildebrand
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The Aeron chair that I am sitting in right now has been my office friend for a little over 20 years. In all that time I’ve only had to replace one part, it works just as well today as it did when I got it. There are a few items that can truly last decades and this chair has been a loyal companion that I can’t imagine giving up.
And hopefully it'll last you forever, they seem to be really holding up to the test of time. Glad to hear you've had such a positive experience with it!!
As a newer(mine is only 3 years old) Aeron owner I would say the quality is not very good. I was trying to clean it from dust and decide to remove the rim near seat and I barely put it back together. Also I think it was fixed with self-tapping screws(
How well does the elastic hold up? I figured it’d stretch out over time and get so loose you can’t even sit in it
what part did u have to replace if I may ask?
@@MrEvan1932 Honestly just as tight as 20 years ago. No sag that I can detect.
As an owner of a HM Aeron (that I got for really cheap because the seller didn't know any better) this episode is well done and it shows how iconic this chair is.
Crazy that you got a good deal on one of these! Thanks for the support 🙌💪
@@FutureProofTV I got mine for $250. It is from 2021 but in great condition. These things are definitely built to last.
I also think people like iconic brands with iconic names, and iconic design. If the Aeron looked regular it probably wouldn't be perceived as functional. It is one of those products that are outstanding functionally & performance, and it's design is beautiful, and shows off the functionality.
And thus begins my search for an Aeron for cheap… speaking of, could you give some insight regarding that? Did you search for Herman miller chairs, or just office chairs hoping someone didn’t know that theirs was special? How cheap is really cheap? Where do you find out about office liquidations or other chances to scoop a primo chair on the low?
@@thru_and_thru Where did you get it for so cheap? Craigslist?
I'm not sure if you know this, but there is something called as Aeron Hockey. It is played while sitting on the Aeron chair and it's super fun. Also, it shows how durable the chair is.
P.S. I'm an ex-Herman Miller employee, and I own an Aeron Chair. It's one of my most prized possessions.
Aeron Hockey sounds like a hell of a good time for this Canadian Herman Miller-loving goof 😅😂
@@FutureProofTV You should definitely check out some of the videos of Aeron Hockey then! 😀
My husband participates in this.
Where we live, it’s a charity event and the teams are made of different firm’s architects & engineers and the games sometimes get pretty rough 😅
As if regular hockey was not expensive enough
The Aeron (and HM chairs in general) are second to none for ergonomics. I had spine surgery so a proper chair is paramount and when it's properly adjusted, these chairs are comfortable, supportive, and last forever. No more cheap Staples Specials for me (or my family if I can help it), it'll be an HM chair in my office.
The Staples ones won't last you nearly as long also, so your back will be all messed up and you'll have a pretty beat up chair in no time. Glad to hear you've had such a positive experience with the HM chairs!
When I bought my Aeron back in 2007, I was skeptical about spending over $1000 on a chair and whether it would stand the test of time. 15 years later, it's still rock solid, comfortable, never needed a repair or tune up and looks just as great as it did back then. Current amortized cost: $1000/15 = $66.7/year. Totally worth it and only getting cheaper.
But they start at 1600 now
@@samalmo Haha, true! Not sure if the same applies to Aerons, but I know that Eames chairs actually increase in value second hand for some reason.
Got my girlfriend a 10 year old aeron for like $50
Hopefully we can get another 10 years out of it!
When work from home started people at my workplace quickly found out how bad their home setup was compared to these office chairs that we had in the office. And… how expensive the chairs were. So many, citing ergonomic issues, tried to convince the company to reimburse their purchase for one of these chairs. That didn’t work but they let them take their chair from the office home for the duration. Now that we’re starting to return to the office there’s some argument from some employees over who keeps the chair! 😅
My bed is a million times more ergonomic than these chairs
@@kekconnoisseur9809 you're on to something
@@kekconnoisseur9809 try working on a computer for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week on your bed. You'd know it sucks to do so.
@@sepg5084 he didn't say anything about working though
First time watching a Future Proof video and I am stunned by the work of your Editor, Kirsten
and Animator ,Zachary. Smooth, crisp, not distracting or overblown. I also appreciate you putting their names in the desc!
As a former in office worker (who has worked from home for like 13 years now) I liked my little cube. I felt safe in my small space with my secure walls.
Haha that's understandable! Hope you've been able to secure a space for yourself working from home as well 😉👍
Well hello there, fellow introvert 🙂
Yep, sat on my Aeron watching this and I love it. Less than two years old though so hasn't stood the test of time for me yet.
Had no idea Herman Miller were involved in cubicles and the whole action office. Fascinating :)
Sat here in a refurbed Aeron feeling even better about it now ahaha - also the fact you can add an adjustable headrest to this thing is the most underrated part and changes the game.
But for real all other desk chairs feel like spine assassins to me now
Yay! So happy to see the Action Office content; I was reading the relevant section in the excellent book "Cubed" just last night.
Since the Aeron chair HM has definitely tried to innovate on other fields than ergonomics. They also did case study about 15 years ago for the relatively new Cradle to Cradle design strategy. It went quite a bit further than using ocean bound plastics. I believe it resulted in the Mirra.
I can't entirely remember if they were succesful in materializing the concept or whether or not they fully embraced and applied these ideas in future models. But I think it's admirable that they at least tried to look into the complete lifecycle of their product and its production process. Especially during an era where sustainability was perceived by many as more of a hippie thing.
I would be grateful if you could post a video about the adoption of cradle to cradle and why it has or hasn't been succesfully adopted.
My uncle works for Herman Miller, never have I been so excited to visit someone's workplace
My Aeron chair is why I struggled with WFH during COVID. I quite literally sat in my office everyday alone because I needed it for my ridiculously long work days. I love that chair
My dad had one in his office, and even bought his own when he retired. It is a damn comfy chair, when ever I use it.
Worth the hype and then some. Truly a legendary product.
100%
I love your videos! Just watched this while sitting on my Auron chair :D In my case it's brand new because in my country people would never throw a working chair in a dumpster or sell it for cheap so the only option is buying it new. I am a chair breaker (I tend to lean back a lot and drag chairs -having wheels or not-) so after breaking 2 regular chairs and 1 office chair it was finally time for a durable chair for my work station. I hope this relationship will last many years :)
Definitely delivered on part 3 great video
one of the greatest videos of the channel( all three parts) and the greatest you've looked; something different but good
My previous company had these chairs and let us take them home during covid and it changed my work life at home. One day soon I will buy myself one of these because I have never sat on a more comfortable chair
I've had my own Aeron chair for a decade and love it, I'm sure it will be with me for decades to come. As someone who sits at a desk for hours on end the ergonomics are top notch and have helped me work in a more comfortable and therefore productive environment. As the owner of my company, everyone now has Aeron chairs. Its a good investment in our people and their health and a long term purchase without contributing to a lot of low grade products that become waste ending up in land fills after a short time to be replaced by more of the same perpetuating the cycle.
We had these in a company i once worked in, as the standard office chair. I never realized. Now kicking myself for my naivete of the awesomeness of Hermann Miller!
I love my HM Aeron. Got a fully loaded one from work.
I picked up a used Aeron for $350 and it's still been going strong. This chair is amazing
That's a steal ! It seems like it'll last forever 😅
Yeah it was an old 2008 or 2006 model. I think I might have to replace the seat mesh screens at some point. It's real easy to come across these chairs from office liquidation sales. Especially in tech hubs like the bay area where one startup's downfall can mean cheap office furniture for a lot of people!
The Henry ford Museum is by far the coolest museum I've been to. 100% recommend visiting if you ever find yourself in Michigan.
The Herman Miller Embody chair is quite innovative.
Using Sync Fabric is much more comfortable than the mesh on the Aeron.
I personally would like to have the Balance Embody, as the fabric is very breathable like the Aeron's mesh.
Got mine for $100! Spent $60 more on a few new parts and now I got my dream chair for less than $200! Really liked this HM series, been trying to find this chair at a price I can afford for about a decade, so I've done my fair share of research but still learned so much I never knew! i have some cheaper HM office chairs ive collected but the aeron was always my holy grail, just put the new parts on today so here's to a few good decades of sitting in style (and comfort!) 😊
Any chance you could point me in the right direction to find one that’s cheaper then retail?
@@Tweeba_official I would supposed ebay, Facebook Craigslist and such. However it will depend on where you live
12 years and still strong, love it
I have adhd and most RUclips videos I skip through but future proofs content is so good I just can’t, always excited for a new video!
That's so great to hear, we put a lot of work into these so we're stoked you're enjoying them so much. Thanks for being a part of the team!!
The more I learned about offices, the more I appreciate the desk at my last job. They had like quasi blocked off long tables for some privacy but also little too no vision block of the room, and plenty of room for pulling people over and looking at a part. Imo a great blend of the corporate box hell and the worker experience.
lucky to be sitting on a aeron remastered pretty much everywhere. Love it so much
Same here, best chair I've ever used.
I just found your channel and it’s scary how much I relate to your vids.
I own
Blundstones
$10 ikea table
Arcteryx jacket
Hydro flask
Aeron Chair
RUclips recommended really had it out for me showing your channel 😂 you’ve earned my sub lol
I really liked this series, cool new format
Great video! HM does seem to be in a period of finding their future design strategy - they're coming out with more direct-to-consumer stuff like gaming chairs vs their more prominent business of contract office furniture but I think long-term they'll be fine. If you want an idea for other companies to cover that are doing tons for the environment I'd highly recommend the flooring industry - I work for the market leader in sustainability (Interface) and would love the opportunity to chat about it! We've been on a sustainability mission since the mid '90's and everything we sell is carbon-neutral and even have some carbon-negative products.
Love this series! Currently I'm using the Ikea Markus chair but the Aeron looks better tho and bet it'll last longer too
Best chair ever. I have had 3 of them over the last 20 years. I insisted to get this chair and for some reason always got what I wanted as an IT guy. I even had one at home but gave that away to a friend. I now have a Herman Miller Mirra. It just looked futuristic and I needed something in complete white. I changed the casters to rollerblade casters and its a dream to sit in for hours working from home. One day I will own an Eames but probably can never afford it or if I can... justify the price. Maybe a knock off.
Great quality video, looking forward to future content 👏
Thank you so much! 🙌
Even though the success of the Aeron hasn't been matched by any other office chair in the world, except maybe the Steelcase Leap v2, they have made several other great chairs.
The Embody, Mirra 2, Sayl, Celle and Cosm are all fantastic chairs that once again show how Herman Miller love to innovate and still ensure great ergonomics with their chairs.
I'm currently using the Aeron remastered and I've been loving it, for me personally having a high quality mesh chair beats any kind of foam padded chairs - those can get dirty and wear out quicker.
I have a new 2021 Aeron with Atlas headrest and an RH Logic office chair from 2006. The Aeron is brilliant and provides instant relief of spinal tension. However I wish it had an option for a chair between a B and a C size or to have modest adjustment of the seat forwards.
I love the HM creator's choice of words - descriptive but true.
Love Bill Stumpf ... he worked out of studios in Winona and Minneapolis, Minnesota ... have you seen his environmental design analysis of Julia Child's kitchen?
Environmental design analysis? Julia Child?? This sounds amazing and we're checking it out immediately! Thanks for the suggestion, Scott 😉👍
@@FutureProofTV I have a pdf of it, happy to share :)
@@nedrelow please do!
Funnily enough, I've been using an Aeron at my new job for three months and didn't realize until today. No wonder I've been so comfortable in it!
Thanks you for putting your sources!
Tbf they made them Embody in 2008 which imo is the best office chair ever period.
The fact that Im sitting in my 2014 Aeron watching this is heartwarming and depressing at the same time as the very company responsible for making my butt happy is also responsible for Cubicles the absolute bane of my sound absorbing quiet room existence!
I applaud Probst's evaluation of the office environment and what it does to people. Can you imagine having bosses who were so enlightened? I mean, even for their own damned self interest - make your employees reasonably comfortable (mentally and physically) and don't make them sit in chairs that literally damage the body!
"Barren rat-hole" is so accurate it would be hilarious if it wasn't so damn sad.
Went back to watch this after buying a refurbished Aeron, superb chair.
I doubt Herman Miller stopped innovating, arguably Embody is the best office chair today, addressing most of the issues people have with the Aeron.
IMO Steelcase is unable to incorporate such aesthetics in their chairs, they look just as another chair, Aeron after all these years and copycats still looks special, and the Embody seems to incorporate the look into a functional chiar.
They have sticked to the IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT approach. I own an Aeron and they are awesome chairs!
I was given one of these in work after an assessment and they are brilliant. When I gave my notice there was an argument about who was going to take it when I left.
Great video (as always)!
Just want to point out that Action Office (the entire project) was led by the legendary George Nelson, who after seeing the application of his creation has distanced himself from it.
A true innovation when it was first introduced. Having sat in one for years, my current favorite is the less expensive Mirra chair by Herman Miller.
Still pricey, but definitely more accessible. Glad you enjoy it so much!
Was that the last of this series? Felt so short but great! Thanks! Will you be making one abt Fully?
I'm gonna be the dissenter and say that I'm not that much a fan of the Aeron. It's not bad; however, for me the big problem with mesh chairs is that the mesh has to be mounted onto a frame. If you change positions in your chair, at some point you'll come up against that frame, and it is not comfortable. If you're very disciplined about not moving in your seat, then it won't be an issue. The Embody chair seems good, although I've only sat in it for ~1-2 minutes, not nearly enough time to have an informed opinion. And maybe because it has such a narrow back rest, or maybe because it's so plasticky, but it doesn't give an impression of sturdiness like the Aeron.
Then there's Steelcase. A lot of people feel the Leap V.2 is better than the Aeron. The Gesture is IMHO the coolest looking task chair by far, and it has ridiculously adjustable arm rests. Too bad Steelcase went with great arm rests instead of a forward-tiltable seat. (The ideal long-term sitting position has your knees lower than your hips.) I believe only the Criterion has a forward-tiltable seat, and unfortunately it's just a standard bland office chair (but still very expensive). I have yet to try any of these chairs myself, but I've been meaning to.
For me the Frame is also a pain. Always on my upper back I feel it digging into me.
I remember yelling at the TV when my wife and I were watching Captain America Civil War because even the Avengers have Herman Miller Aeron chairs in the Stark Tower conference room.
The steel case leap is another iconic chair that is pretty popular too.
Thanks for the video.
Would like to see a video on Steelcase. I have the leap and love it. Even have a used Steelcase for when I have a friend come over for pc repair.
Still lust after the Eames chair.
I got my own Aeron this year, thankfully I got a discount and my company paid for half of it, full warranty I can't wait to sit in this chair for at least a decade
Lunar Lounge Design of Winnipeg, Manitoba is a custom mid century modern furniture designer and all products handmade. Excellent stuff!
Not the fishing dating profile picture jab😂 That honestly was my brother-in-law’s eharmony photo when my sister met him😂
There’s a quite new chair from HM that is basically as flexible as the aeron, but with basically no knobs. It just uses some compliant wizardry to just fit you perfectly.
I have an Aeron chair and it is the most comfortable office chair I have ever owned. It got rid of all the back issues I had.
Thank you!!!!
Thanks again
I think FutureProof should look at the Concept 2 rower, it's like the Aeron of rowers. I love my Aeron and the thing I like most about it after how comfortable it is, is how easy it is to get spare parts for it if it ever were to break (not that if shows signs it would).
It's a great product. Love my Concept 2. Worth every cent
@@sdemosi I think their equipment is fitted into my local gym, the quality is amazing.
@@StardustLegacyFighter yes you often see them fitted in gyms because they're durable, fixable and customers get familiar with them. From a fitness perspective the Concept 2 was the best investment I made. Mine is abut 14 years old and is still going strong.
I love my Aeron! It truly is the best office chair I've ever sat in
And yes, I did add the roller blade wheels...something I'd highly recommend to anybody.
The embody is the new poster child for Herman Miller. With their branding collaboration with Logitech for the small run of gaming series edition Embody's, the Embody model is now synonymous with gaming chairs. Tho the only difference between the Logitech version is a color scheme and logo. But that has helped that model garner a lot of attention as a "gaming chair".
The other differences are that the Gaming Embody has an extra layer of padding in the seat with copper woven in for thermal regulation. Also the Gaming Embody has a lower price. For those two reasons, I went with the Gaming Embody. I'm using it as my office chair.
love your vids ❤️
Thanks for being a part of the team!
Home office chairs are more or less meant to be sat in for a couple of hours per day. In a couple years, the cushions flatten out and they become uncomfortable. An office chair is meant for 8-10 hours per day, or more. You can buy a home office chair for $150 to $200 and expect to replace it every few years. I bought my Aeron in 2014 for an astronomical $900 and it's still going strong. I'm fortunate I was able to come up with the funds to buy one, and I have not regretted it since.
Edit: I do have to add one shortcoming. I have a problem, 1 in 100 times I get out of the chair, the piston pops up hard. Customer Support was worthless, wanting videos of the problem that were a nightmare to try to reproduce. So I just lived with it. Still a 1% problem, stil love the chair.
In some companies, Herman Miller chairs form a class system where interns are assigned Mirra chairs while full-time employees sit on Aeron chairs.
The Aeron I'm sitting in that I bought from Craigslist has a date sticker of 1997. It's barely younger than I am, and I can still buy new parts for it.
Nice video! Every other word was "the office" and "office space" so of course I was expecting certain clips to appear. Almost half way through, I was afraid you were going to disappoint. Are those Aeron chairs they are using at Dunder Mifflin Stanford?
interesting that you didn't mention the Embody
I've made a lot of easy money buying and selling these, love the video!
Thanks so much for being here!!
Speaking of furnitures, what table are you using in the video. Looks really sleek!
I love Dylan’s cameo in the video 👏
👏👏😂
That was a crossover I never would have expected 💀😆
The first day I started working at the World Bank office in Bangladesh back in 2019, I noticed wow this chair is the most comfortable chair I ever used. Then I searched for the name and found HM. then I went to their website and found its called the Aeron chair. Wow man, office experience would not have been this good without this chair must say!
I’m randomly scrolling through videos and I saw the thumbnail like what? That’s my office chair!
11:05 *raises hand* I knew who Bill Stumpf was before watching this video. The original Aeron was an absolute masterpiece…. except for its lumbar support. That lumbar support is trash, but luckily they fixed that in the remastered version *checks notes* only 24 years later.
Didn't know the lumbar support issue wasn't fixed for so long, thanks for the info! 🤗
i used to work in a hotel in San Francisco and one of the tenets was just throwing this out, i work the garbage everyday and was allowed to take things home if it was thrown away. i got this chair that way and still use it today, i didnt realize at the time how amazing it is that i got this chair for free.
Part 3? It really must be good
I’m going to like this channel 👍🏼
Honestly, I prefer my recliner. It’s just so comfy!
This video has been one big ad for me, and now I’m sold on saving up for one. Glad to join the cult
My dad pulled mine out of a dumpster 4 years ago and it’s my daily chair
from what i hear the newer aeron remastered is better in functionality but not built the same. it still has 12years warranty but dont expect them to last more than the classics
Love my Aeron at home
I love mine and threw away my "gaming chair" crap and it saved my back as a 25 year old sitting at the PC all day long, thank you herman miller.
We need to talk about the Embody....
I’ve got a steel case Aeron rip-off. I love it. Got it for free too brand new with a 42 inch ledtv that someone was dragging out to the dumpster cus they were moving back to China after the semester ended
Will you be doing Steelcase?
Reminds me of Ben Stiller's Severance
I think he forgets to mention that the Aeron chair have a 12 year warranty. And they live up to it! I bought mine back in 2006 and it's still working great, would never sit in anything else.
as an introverted gentleman, I love my little box at work.
Great video
Thanks so much, we're real proud of this series!
where is the best place to buy one of these at a semi affordable price vs brand new?
I don't see how this char would be more comfortable than a cushioned chair.
Perhaps one of the reasons that keep me from resigning is that our office uses the Aeron. Lol.
Haha lol
So I ended up buying an Embody I’m the two weeks since the last video
My back has never felt so supported!
Cubicle? What kind of luxury is that? Currently in rows, open plan. A cubicle would seriously be an upgrade !
I've had a $150 office chair for 15 years. My parents have old leather ones that are at least 30 years old. Nothing agaisnt these chairs and not denying the ergonomic benefits but I rarely experience chairs breaking. I've used them in hotels and they seem ok, but a bit overhyped. Also, surprised at the number sold as I thought it would be higher.
It's around 8 million sold iirc, but regardless of that it's still higher than any other chair I've seen.
Only the Steelcase Leap v2 comes close in terms of chairs sold.